The Czech Republic (CZ), a central European nation and EU member since 2004, has a population of about 10.7 million. It boasts a high-income economy with a GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity significantly above the EU average. Key sectors include automotive, engineering, and electronics. Its political structure is a parliamentary republic, with a stable democratic governance system. The Czech Republic is part of the Schengen Area but not a member of the Eurozone, maintaining its own currency, the Czech koruna. It actively participates in EU policy-making and contributes to various EU statistical data collections.